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Drug Use and HIVKey points on drug use and unsafe sex For a lot of people, drugs and sex go together. Drug users might trade sex for drugs or for money to buy drugs. Research shows that sexual behavior is the main HIV risk factor for injection drug users. Drug use, including methamphetamine or alcohol, increases the chance that people will not protect themselves during sexual activity. · Some people use drugs to reduce their inhibitions before having sex. For some, drugs enable them to participate in sexual behaviors that they would not normally engage in, including unprotected sex with serial partners or unprotected sex in group sex (sex parties). · Others might find it difficult to set limit on what they are willing to do sexually while under the effect of drugs and alcohol. · Drug and alcohol use reduces condom use and safer sex practices. Often, substance users have multiple sexual partners. This increases their risk of becoming infected with HIV or another sexually transmitted disease. Substance users may have an increased risk of carrying sexually transmitted infections. This can increase their risk of becoming infected with HIV, or of transmitting HIV infection. In Summary Drug use is a major cause of new HIV infections. Shared equipment can spread HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases. Never re-use any equipment for using drugs Even if you re-use your own syringes, clean them thoroughly between times. Cleaning is only partly effective. Alcohol and non-injecting drug use, even when just used recreationally, contribute to unsafe sexual activities and an increase in sexually transmitted infections. Key points on drug use and HIV treatment In HIV treatment, it is very important to take every dose of ARVs. People who are not adherent (miss doses) are more likely to have higher levels of HIV in their blood, and to develop resistance to their medications. Drug use is linked with poor adherence, which can lead to treatment failure. Some street drugs interact with medications. The liver breaks down some medications used to fight HIV, especially the protease inhibitors and the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. It also breaks down some recreational drugs, including alcohol. When drugs and medications are both processed by the liver, they might both be processed much more slowly. This can lead to a serious overdose of the medication or of the recreational drug. An overdose of a medication can cause serious side effects. An overdose of a recreational drug can be deadly. At least one death of a person with HIV has been blamed on mixing a protease inhibitor with the recreational drug Ecstasy. Some ARVs can change the amount of methadone in the bloodstream. It may be necessary to adjust the dosage of methadone in some cases. See the fact sheets for each of the medications you are taking, and discuss your HIV medications with your methadone counselor and your HIV health care provider. In Summary Drug use can lead to missed doses of ARVs. This increases the chances of treatment failure and resistance to medications. Mixing recreational drugs and ARVs can be dangerous. Drug interactions can cause serious side effects or dangerous overdoses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How does drug use relate to HIV? Drug use is a major factor in the spread of HIV infection. Shared equipment for using drugs can carry HIV and hepatitis, and drug use is linked with unsafe sexual activity. Drug and alcohol use can also be dangerous for people who are taking antiretroviral medications (ARVs). Drug users are less likely to take all of their medications, and street drugs may have dangerous interactions with ARVs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Injection and Infection HIV infection spreads easily when people share equipment to use drugs. Sharing equipment also spreads hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and other serious diseases. Infected blood can be drawn up into a syringe and then get injected along with the drug by the next user of the syringe. This is the easiest way to transmit HIV during drug use because infected blood goes directly into someone’s bloodstream. Even small amounts of blood on your hands, cookers, filters, tourniquets, or in rinse water can be enough to infect another user. To reduce the risk of HIV and hepatitis infection, never share any equipment used with drugs, and keep washing your hands. Carefully clean your cookers and the site you will use for injection. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drug Use and Unsafe Sex For a lot of people, drugs and sex go together. Drug users might trade sex for drugs or for money to buy drugs. Some people connect having unsafe sex with their drug use. Drug use, including methamphetamine or alcohol, increases the chance that people will not protect themselves during sexual activity. Someone who is trading sex for drugs might find it difficult to set limits on what they are willing to do. Drug use can reduce a person’s commitment to use condoms and practice safer sex. Often, substance users have multiple sexual partners. This increases their risk of becoming infected with HIV or another sexually transmitted disease. Also, substance users may have an increased risk of carrying sexually transmitted diseases. This can increase their risk of becoming infected with HIV, or of transmitting HIV infection. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bottom Line Drug use is a major cause of new HIV infections. Shared equipment can spread HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases. Alcohol and drug use, even when just used recreationally, contribute to unsafe sexual activities. To protect yourself from infection, never re-use any equipment for using drugs. Even if you re-use your own syringes, clean them thoroughly between times. Cleaning is only partly effective. Drug use can lead to missed doses of ARVs. This increases the chances of treatment failure and resistance to medications. Mixing recreational drugs and ARVs can be dangerous. Drug interactions can cause serious side effects or dangerous overdoses. REMEMBER: Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for maintaining your health. Take control of your health and your life. 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